Pluckley
|coordinates= |rating= |map= |18}} }} Pluckley is a village in Kent, England. While it is relatively small, it is classified as the Most Haunted village in Britain with at least 12 recorded hauntings. There have been many tragic deaths in the village. The odd concentration may be due to the location of the village in terms of magnetism in the ground. Paranormal activity is believed to flourish in areas of strong geological magnetism. Screaming Man of the Brickworks In the Pluckley Brickworks, a man was smothered by a drying clay wall that fell on him. His screams are said to be heard coming from the brickworks, and his ghost is said to appear sometimes as well. Watercress Lady An old Gypsy woman who made a living by selling watercress at the crossroads bridge now haunts the area. She died when a spark from the pipe she was smoking ignited the whiskey she was drinking. She set herself ablaze. Lady Dering (The Red Lady) The Red Lady, a member of the Dering family, is said to be buried in seven lead coffins within an oak coffin and placed in the crypt in St. Nicholas's Church. The Red Lady was said to be buried with a red rose in her coffin, hence the name "The Red Lady". She is said to be searching for the grave of her stillborn child. Lady Dering (The White Lady) A second Dering lady is also said to be haunting St. Nicholas's Church. The White Lady was the wife of the Baron who owned much of the area. When she died, the Lord Dering was so distressed that he had her body buried in three lead coffins and an oak one in an attempt to stop her body from decomposing. (This 'coffin' may have been for the White Lady and not the Red Lady. The stories tend to conflict). Her ghost has also been seen in the Dering family house library. The White Lady and the Red Lady were indeed related; they are not the same ghost as some say. The most likely relation between them are as sisters, or mother and daughter. *Robert DuBois - The Highwayman Robert DuBois was a highwayman who operated in the Stuart area just outside of Pluckley. DuBois's routine was to hide behind a tree on the corner (known as "Fright Corner") and jump out at his intended victim, giving them a fright and stunning them. This proved rather successful but it also became predictable. Eventually, his run of terror came to an end when a Guard (some say other thieves) killed him with a spear when it was thrown through the oak tree where DuBois usually hid, piercing and pinning him to the tree. The tree has since disappeared but the ghost of Robert DuBois and the tree he was pinned to often appear. Some say that the ghost of DuBois still appears on the corner, jumping out at people traveling on the road much like he did in life. The name *Robert DuBois is hearsay after being given on a TV entertainment program called Most Haunted. Horse And Carriage A dark coloured Carriage being driven by horses is sometimes seen or heard charging through the village at high speed on Maltman's Hill. The reason for this is largely unknown. Phantom Monk of Greystones A monk is said to haunt a house called Greystones, formerly called Rectory Cottage. He may have been involved with the Lady of Rose Court. Why he haunts the house is unknown although it is possible that he died there. Colonel of Park Woods An unnamed man traveled to Park Wood, near Pluckley, and committed suicide by hanging himself. Now his ghost is seen marching through the woods in full military costume, hence his nickname, Colonel. His ghost is completely harmless and does not appear distressing;. most people who see him don't even know he's a ghost. Phantom of the Pinnocks Richard 'Dicky' Buss may be the ghost haunting the ruined windmill near a house called The Pinnocks. The mill was closed down in 1930 and was later destroyed by fire when struck by lightening during a thunder storm. The phantom is a completely black silhouette and is usually seen before a storm. Lady of Rose Court The ghost, thought to be a mistress of one of the Dering family, haunts the house called Rose Court. She may have been involved in a love triangle involving the phantom monk of Greystones. She committed suicide by eating poisonous berries. She haunts the house and the gardens between 1600 and 1700 hours and is said to be heard calling her two dogs. Henry Turff Henry Turff was the headmaster of Smarden School. He was close friends with the Richard Buss in Pluckley. He would travel to Pluckley every Sunday to visit Buss and discuss politics. However, one Sunday, the headmaster from Smarden went missing. He was later found on the land leading to the mills. He had hung himself in a tree. Turff's ghost has been seen on the lane hanging from the tree where he killed himself. This ghost was later seen by a newspaper journalist who said that the ghost was dressed in a green blazer and striped trousers. The Screaming Woods These woods are located next to Pluckley. These woods were originally called the Dering Woods, and most people still refer to them as that.. The woods gained the nickname "The Screaming Woods" because, at night, it is said you can still here the screams of the numerous people who got lost there and died. See Also Pluckley:Ghost Gallery